Now don’t be jealous.  I just spent four fabulous days on Maui.  I don’t want you to think this was all play and no work.  We were on a mission.  Yes, an important one.  My friend Pam celebrating a milestone birthday [?]0, the first number being hidden to protect the innocent (that would be me) has declared this year the Year of Pam.  Yes, 365 days of yeah, its my birthday, what are we doing?  Where should we go? First on the birthday bucket list, a trip to Maui, a surprise concocted by her hubby (take note boys).  Being the good friend, I decided to accompany her.  I know, tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

It has been years since I have been to Maui. The last time I was a starving student. Fine dining then meant hitting the happy hours at various restaurants along the beachfront where a drink came with a buffet of delicious island pupus.  Hole in the Walls for plate lunch (two scoop rice, macaroni salad and choice of protein) and McDonald’s were staples, easy on the budget and stomach.  Island twists to the Mickey D’s menu included Portuguese Eggs and Rice, Saimin, Spam and Eggs, and lilikoi or passion fruit pies. A definite plus.

But this is many years later, there will be no McDonalds on this trip.  Is that progress?

Let’s get this party started.  Upon arrival, we headed to the beach by way of the bar where we had Mai Tais to toast the birthday girl.

Our days pretty much followed this routine:

Wake up: What’s for breakfast?

Head to the beach.

While sitting on the beach think about: What’s for lunch?

Back to the beach.

Sitting on the Beach: What’s for dinner?

Dinner our first night was at Monkeypod Kitchen, Merriman’s casual outpost on Maui.  The vibe is breezy, relaxing and fun.  We started with the Lobster Deviled Eggs, yum and washed it down with more Mai Tais.  I wanted the raw bar but alas they were sold out.  How does this happen on an island surrounded by ocean?  Oh well, so I chose the next best thing, pasta.  I know, whaat? Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms, Kale and Ricotta

It was DELICIOUS.  The gnocchi were soft little pillows of dough that paired well with the mushrooms and kale.  Simply prepared and so good.

A walk on the beach after dinner with thoughts of…

….What’s for breakfast?

We hit Napili Bay with thoughts of kayaking and snorkeling.  But first breakfast. At the top of the Bay sits a casual eatery, the Sea Horse Restaurant with fantastic views and a mean bowl of fried rice.  Da Kitchen Sink Fried Rice was filled with shrimp, Portuguese sausage and flavored with aromatics like ginger and onions.  Located in a tourist enclave it was never the less reasonable and relaxing.  We could see the whales in the Bay as we enjoyed our meal.

I took a brief respite from eating to go to a concert by Henry Kapono and Friends. I love Hawaiian music and jumped at the chance to enjoy some amazing guitar work and vocals.  Sitting there singing along to Cecilio and Kapono favorites from back in the day made me happy, happy, happy.  If you don’t get to a concert, almost every bar or restaurant has live music, most of it island style, a perfect way to finish an evening.

Sailin’ by C&K, enjoy!

Dinner our last night in Maui found us at Merriman’s in Kapalua. Ironically, Hubby and I ate at the original Merriman’s years ago on the Big Island. Merriman’s has come along way from the quaint original place.  This one is absolutely gorgeous, a spacious open-air restaurant with a spectacular view of the ocean.  Perfect place to enjoy cocktails at Sunset..except for the overcast weather and wind during our visit..oh well.

I picked the short straw that night and ordered a very unimaginative appetizer sampler.  I also ordered their housemade Cavatelli with Hirabara Farms Swiss Chard, Hamakua Mushrooms, Truffle Oil, House-Made Ricotta which more than made up for the appetizer.  As beautiful as this place is it felt like a slick operation that had lost its soul to corporate efficiencies.

In fairness, the rest of our party enjoyed their meals.  The fresh fish of the day was a big hit.  Service was perfunctory at best (hmm, automatic tipping for a party of six), but those views!

I don’t want you to think all we did was eat and drink.  Walking on the beach, hikes, a tiny bit of shopping and whale watching highlighted our brief stay.  Paradise found.

Humpbacks migrate to Maui regularly.  Waters in the islands of Maui County average only 300 ft. providing, safe, protected waters free of predators (such as Orca). The perfect “kiddie pool” for nurturing newborn calves.

Aloha!